elcome to the last quarter of Airflow for the year. Over the
past few months we have seen some highs and lows within the
modelling fraternity with the loss of Brian Burke, Jim Palmer, Ian
Gillespie, Warren Schumer & Ben Staines.
Members of the State Association have been visiting new clubs
in the area in particular, visiting Warwick’s new club field at
Morgan Park recently. Warwick has just been formed after an
absence of 10 years or more. The Wondai club field proposal
is well on its way to fruition with an inspection happening in the
new year. I have spent considerable time collating the information given on the survey results. Generally speaking most
members (120 who responded) which is approximately 5 % of
membership, are happy with the current situation but there can
be some improvements particularly in the Airflow ( which is happening all the time) , other aspects of communication in the
web site,and many other little things that can be improved upon.
Remember this is a starting point upon making the association
a better one.

email:
cjvogler@bigpond.com

FRONT PAGE:
PETER LOVE WITH HIS
P40 AT TAA RECENTLY.

“Wings over the Downs “has moved back to the old shop now
that renovations have been completed some 10 months since
the flood that devastated Toowoomba. The renovation has seen
an amazing uplift to the shop. It is a must see for those who
remember the past shop and its aurora of yesteryear. A good
range of all new stock items and some bling cabinets bring it to
life once again.
For those who travel overseas particularly into Morocco a new
British owned shop in the city of Marrakech a popular destination
for holiday makers. A good range of cars, boats, heli & aircraft
including Horizon Hobby, Ripmax & Overlander. Marrakech has
an RC club with a 120 metre x 8 metre wide strip on the outskirts
of town. Visit their web site: www.rcmoroc.com.
I would like to thank Luke Cullen for his “Road to Temora “ article
in this edition. I would like to see some more projects that members have completed. It”s not that hard to do, if you need a hand
give me a call or email the editor.
In closing the President and everyone on the committee would
like to send seasons greetings to all members and have a safe
and festive season. Catch up in 2012.
Doug

Next General MAAQ meeting date : 18th February 2012.
AT CHERMSIDE LIBRARY AT 2.00 PM
PLEASE NOTE THE CUT OFF DATE FOR MATERIAL FOR
THE JANUARY -MARCH EDITION WILL BE THE 23RD OF
FEBRUARY 2012.
Page 2

New Zealand Aviation Spectacular
13 DAY SOUTH ISLAND GETAWAY
Featuring the Warbirds Over Wanaka Airshow

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Witness biplanes of World War I, heroes of World War II,
fighters of Korea and awesome jets of Vietnam recreate
history right before your eyes. Combined with a 13 day tour
of New Zealandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s South Island, this holiday will certainly
keep your head in the clouds.
Tour includes airfare, taxes, luxury coach travel,
quality accommodation, most meals, sightseeing &
attractions including a 3 Day Warbirds Over Wanaka
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Special Departure:
30 March 2012

LUXURY TOURING FROM

8 Day Tour option also available.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT YOUR LOCAL TRAVEL AGENT OR GRAND PACIFIC TOURS ON

1800 622 768 or www.grandpacifictours.com
*Conditions apply. Price valid for travel ex BNE & OOL and includes pre paid taxes, correct at time of print but subject to change. **$100 discount is per person.
Eyewitness Travel Guide Book is one per household. No other special offers or discounts apply. Applies to new bookings only until 31 Dec 2011. Lic No. 32046.

Page 3

MODEL AERONAUTICAL
ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA INC.
Newsletter
NO. 04/2011
President: Mike Close, PO Box 146, West Pennant Hills NSW 2125
Telephone: 02 9872 6469 Fax: 02 9871 0408
Vice President: Paul Winter 25 Jasmine Drive Mill Park VIC 3082
Telephone: 03 9436 0717
Secretary: Kevin Dodd, 16 Illidge Rd Victoria Point QLD 4165
Telephone: 07 3207 9067 Fax: 07 3207 8175
Treasurer: Brian Dowie, PO Box 5137 Cheltenham East VIC 3192
Comp. Rules Ross Cant, PO Box 670 Mount Lawley WA 6929
Secretary: Telephone 0404 634 366
MAAA Internet: www.maaa.asn.au
Manual of Procedures
The Manual of Procedures is a “live” document and is continually being updated.
Please check the MAAA web site from time to time to ensure that you are aware of
the latest editions of the documents. The MAAA has recently released the following
amended documents in the Manual of Procedures:
MOP006 Appointment & Reappointment of Inspectors. Amended as a
consequence of a change of forms MAAA003, 004 & 028, to clarify who has to
complete which sections of the form.
MOP058 2.4GHz Equipment. Amended to include ‘Thunder Tiger/ACE, IFh ss
Frequency Hopping’ technology and 3.8 & 3.9 in Requirements.
Congratulations to the Australian F3D Pylon Racing Team
With Team Manager Michael Dallmann at
the helm, the Australian F3D Pylon team
produced an outstanding performance at the
recently held World Championships at
Bundaberg, Queensland.
First Place & World Champions: Chris &
Kevin Callow.
Second Place: Beau & Barry Murphy.
Fourth Place & Best Junior: Tyler & Warren
Mees.
Sixth Place: Leigh Hocken & Frank Casella.
Team Place: Australia FIRST.
The entire team and large support group are
to be congratulated for their huge effort.
MAAA Insurance
Question: Can the MAAA office categorically answer as to whether the MAAA
insurance would totally cover me if I caused a model aircraft accident under
the following circumstances..?
Answer: The short reply is: No, we can’t answer the question.
The reason for the seemingly unhelpful answer is that you have asked for a
categorical position and unfortunately that is not possible. The liabilities under an
insurance contract are legal matters and in the event of any dispute on either
coverage, or an attempted recovery of any payout by an insurance company, this
would ultimately be determined by a Court of Law. The MAAA is not a qualified legal
firm and therefore it cannot provide legal advice. Even if it were, in any court case the
final decision depends on the details of the case and any generalized theoretical
situation is not likely to totally apply to a specific set of circumstances. That is why
Judges are employed and lawyers make a lot of money giving differing advice to their
clients depending on which side of the case they represent. In the end, the Judge
Page 4

decides, based on the evidence presented to him.
As an example, under ‘Just Culture’ which MAAA is committed to, and also to
illustrate the problem of stating a categorical position, consider the case of someone
flying at a club without being an MAAA Member or properly signing the visitor book.
This seemingly obvious situation might have factors that affect how it would be
viewed. Assuming that this circumstance was relevant to a particular case, there
could be a range of overall reasons leading to it which are not limited to those listed
below:
The person presented the club with a forged MAAA Card.
The person was well known at the club as an MAAA Member but his MAAA
Membership had lapsed.
The club had a clearly displayed notice on visitor policy and the person ignored it.
The person was signed in as a visitor but it was not noticed that it was the fifth time
over a number of months.
The person was signed in as a visitor but it was not noticed that it was the fifth time in
five days.
The person was not signed in but it was intended to do it when the club member
finished another task.
The person was not signed in but the club has a visitor’s policy which is normally
followed.
The person was not signed in but the club has a visitor’s policy which is followed only
if a committee member is present.
The person was not signed in but the club has a visitor’s policy which is followed
occasionally.
The person was not signed in and the club does not have a visitor’s policy.
The person was not signed in and the club policy is knowingly to let anyone fly.
The person was not signed in and it is generally known locally, and promoted at
Hobby Shops, that anyone can just turn up and fly.
The MAAA would take different stances at points in the above list, ranging from
tolerance of human error to full liability and disciplinary action, which is why a
definitive single position statement is not possible. Insurance companies might show
similar tolerance against their own standards, or they might not. A similar set of
arguments could be applied to the parameters in the circumstances of any case that
may be asked. In the end, as previously stated, it could end up in court if there was
an incident and a Judge would decide on liability and the insurance company would
then pick up any insured liability.
This and other questions and answers regarding Insurance are available at the
Frequently Asked Questions page on the MAAA website at www.maaa.asn
Incident Reports
The latest Incident Reports relating to finger strikes by propellers indicate that some
members may not be aware of the safe way to remove the glow plug driver.
Reaching over the propeller from the front of the model is dangerous and should be
avoided. Removing the glow driver from behind lowers the risk of propeller strike
considerably. Clubs may wish to include this advice on their field safety notices.
MAAA Forms
When needing to download MAAA forms, members are asked to do this directly from
the MAAA website www.maaa.asn It has been found that using Google or other
search engines to find a particular form sometimes results in an out of date
document being located from a website other than the MAAA site.

Page 5

65th MAAA Nationals
Aeromodellers of Western Australia (AWA) will be hosting the 65th Nationals in Perth
from 12 -20 April 2012. The Central point for the Nationals will be the Whiteman Park
Flying Field Complex with a number of other events being run at several other
locations to the south and north of Perth.
2012 F5D Electric World Championships – Romania
QMARA, on behalf of the Electric Subcommittee wish to advise that they intend to
conduct an F5D electric pylon racing team selection event for the 2012 World
Champs. The date will be 25-26 February 2012 and the venue will be the Dalby
Model Aero Club field (Queensland). The selection will be conducted over the 2 days
with 9 rounds flown and will be held in conjunction with other racing classes which will
be advised. International competitors to this event are also welcome. Standard entry
fee $20.00.
For further information contact Bruce DeChastel at ‘Big Bruce Racing Products’
bdechastel@bigpond.com
2012 F1D Indoor Free Flight World Championships – Serbia
The VFFS in conjunction with the MAAA Free Flight Subcommittee now propose to
run a single team selection trial for F1D as indicated. Due to time constraints, the
previous proposed team trial had to be abandoned. The event will be held in
conjunction with the Victorian State Indoor Championships. New date and times
provided for a single event to determine team places are:
Place: Manningham D.I.S.C. Springvale Rd., Donvale, Victoria.
Date: 18 December 2011 Time: 12.30-4.30pm.
World / Continental Championships and Trans Tasman Events Calendar
MAAQ GENERAL MEETING DATES FOR 2012 AT THE CHERMSIDE LIBRARY IN
BRISBANE.
FEBRUARY 18TH, MAY 12TH, AUGUST 25TH, NOVEMBER 10TH.

Gary De’Chastel and his control line of the era racing machines .. These types of models come under the banner of
Nostalgic type models and you
may get to see some of these
type of control line models flying at Dalby in March 2012.
Should be a great weekend
-stepping back in time .
Page 6

IT IS NOT A COMPETITION
NO ENTRY FEES
Mystery Prizes and Pilots Raffle

There are some suggested models for each discipline but fly what you bring!
e.g. C/L a Phantom, All American, F/F a Cardinal, R/C an O/T or Sport model, Indoor any
Frog model, any Slow R/C
as well as
Rocketry (a vintage one)
A chance to watch and/or try a discipline you may not have ever seen!

Listen to the roar of a C/L PULSE JET (perhaps also an R/C one as well?)

SWAP AND SELL YOUR UNWANTED ITEMS
Camping on site available (Small daily fee pp)
Accommodation in town just 9 minutes drive from field
Hot and cold Lunch and Dinner available from the onsite Canteen.
Breakfasts can be arranged (by request to Organiser)
GREEN FEE (Payable to DMAC) $10 Saturday and $5 Sunday (special reduced rate)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Grand Southern Cross Model Aero Rally will be on again next year on the 21 and 22
April, 2012.
It looks that the GSCMAR will be much larger than 2010.
* We will have 4 marquees this year, 3 for retail and trade displays and a very large marquee
for meet and greet.
* We are expecting at least 120 modellers and approximately 250 models.
* As was the case last year, we are providing unserviced camping and caravan space, although
toilets are available.
* This year we are having 1 runway for Scale models, 1 for Pylon Racing, and a separate area
for Helicopters and Control Line.
* A PA system will be placed along the spectator area with a model by model commentary
throughout both days.
* Last year we raised enough money to surgically correct the legs of 2 Fijian Children, next
year the funds raised will attend to the surgical needs of children from Papua PNG,
* Again next year we will have an aerobatic display provided by Desert Aircraft sponsored
Chris Brisline, this time to music. You will see how Chris came second in the world
championships last year. His flying is truly amazing.
* We will also have a Pitts Special display by the Paul Bennet, the Australian Champion, as
well as a fly over Of Pauls WW2 Avenger. There is also a possibility of a fly over on both
days of a WW2 Mustang and we have asked Temora if they would also do a fly over of their
Spitfire. More on that later
Please come and help make the Grand Southern Cross Model Aero Rally - Luskintyre an even
greater success than it was last year.

Page 8

AT THE DALBY MODEL AIR FIELD
17th & 18th MARCH 2012
All Welcome
FLYING STARTS FROM SUNUP TILL LATE (WITH NIGHT FLYING)
FIELD OPEN FROM FRIDAY
FULL CATERING SATURDAY AND SUNDAY
*PILOT REGISTRATION $20 pre entry $25 on the weekend
*PILOTS MUST be MAAA MEMBERS
*TX POUND FOR 36Mhz ( if anyone still has one )
*CAMPING with hot showers
*FOR MORE INFORMATION
Email: march-madness@otto1.net

Ph; LYLE 0458724354
EDDIE 0417639088

Page 9

Next General MAAQ meeting date : 5th NOVEMBER
AT CHERMSIDE LIBRARY AT 2.00 PM
PLEASE NOTE THE CUT OFF DATE FOR MATERIAL FOR
THE OCTOBER-DECEMBER EDITION WILL BE THE 28TH
OF NOVEMBER 2011.

Page 10

Generosity and Camaraderie is Alive and Well at Club and Special Interest Group’s of
Aeromodeling.
At Suncoast Model Flyer’s in August 2011 junior member’s 10 year olds Henry White and
Matthew Wood were delighted when presented with a scaled down version of the Astro Hog
(mini hog) built by member Col Maybury (Air Frame and Engine’s) and Finished by member Paul
O’Grady,needless to say the boy’s love these little planes, Mini Hogs for Mini Pilots.
At Southern Cross Air Force (SCAF) War Birds events the boys are usually allowed to fly the Mini
Hogs as well as the PC9’s BF109 and Zero that they attend with, but at the recent SCAF Fly In
at the Maryborough Field the first time a SCAF War Bird Event has been held there they were
given the thrill of their lives when Geoff Lowe who had been watching them fly asked permission
to fly another model he had with his collection of war birds and his Jet Powered ELAN was taken
up by well known pilot Chris Dawson who then handed the transmitter to the boys in turn and
talked them through for some quite good circuits and manoeuvres and then took back control
and landed.
A while later the ELAN was fired up again and then taxied out by Matthew with Chris Dawson at
his side who then said well take off then, Matthew did not need telling twice and after a series
of circuits and aerobatics landed the ELAN very nicely, Chris asked Matthew to give Henry the
transmitter who taxied back up the runway turned the plane round and lined up for take off and
a similar flight followed then finishing up with a very smooth landing and turn around to taxi back
to the pit’s and the boy’s grinning like Cheshire cats at the applause from the SCAF and Club
members present. Many thanks to Geoff Lowe for letting the young blokes have the chance to fly
a Turbine Powered model and to Chris Dawson for talking them through, I think its one day the
boys will never forget.
Roy Salmon,
SMF/SCAF.

The Road to Temora
It’s not too often these days that we hear about the people who make it possible to
build, fly and compete with the models we build. In 2009 I decided to build a twin engine scale
model to compete at the Nationals at Dalby. I decided on the B25J Mitchell called “Russell’s
Raiders” that is still flying in Europe today. I purchased numerous books and a 1/24th scale
Monogram model to detail the model as much as is necessary for this level of competition. It
flew in WW2 mainly in Northern Africa, Europe and the Balkans. I purchased the plans, cowls
canopy’s, retracts, and wheels etc from Nick Zirolli in the U.S. I commenced the build in late
January 2010 and after purchasing large quantities of balsa and plywood from Robbo at Wings
over the Downs. I then began the build and purchased all the necessary electronics too.
The basic airframe went together very well and the plans were both accurate and straight
forward. I purchased two Desert Aircraft 50cc petrol engines as they are so powerful and reliable.
I then purchased and built a Pitts Python to run the engines in. I was assisted by Adam Grofski
from T.A.A who flew the Python in some I.M.A.C competitions and practice. By Easter 2010 I had
the basic airframe together and began the fit out of retracts and engines. Once the motors were
mounted in the Mitchell I fabricated exhausts from stainless pipe and mandrel bends from Desert
aircraft. I decided to use 2 EQ6 Smartfly powerboxes to divide the power delivery and then split
the batterys using 4 x 2650mah lithium battery’s to power the radio. This offers redundancy for
battery failures and also utilises separate powerboxes for the ignition systems. It also means I
can trim the engines separately and have dual ignition switches. By May 2010 I had “glassed”
the airframe and began the lengthy task of detailing the exterior. To compete at this level of scale
I also detailed all the cockpit areas including the front gunner, pilots and co-pilot as well as the
side and rear gunners. As winter approached I began the paintwork which was hindered by the
cold weather. By July 2010 I had the paintwork finished and spent many hours on the radio set
up. I was assisted by Troy Brodrick from T.A.A with the electronics as I had to use 13 channels
on a 12 channel radio. The difficulty was the bomb drop and bomb bay doors.
By August 2010 I was ready to run the engines and do some taxi testing and then ready for
the initial test flights at the end of August. The test flight was done in very windy conditions but
all went very well. Minimal trimming was needed and the certification was completed by Peter
Lambert also from T.A.A.
I then focused on the Temora Scale Classic Invitational. It was great to be invited and good
practice at this type of competition. I had limited opportunities to practice for the compulsory
manuvers for Temora so I arrived for the competion with only 8 flights on the Mitchell. We arrived
to cold and windy conditions and a great learning curve. I have never competed in this type of
competition and did get some insights from Steve Thomas and Peter Love from T.A.R.M.A.C.
I was also assisted by Brisbane’s Ron Cavanah who had great tips into the judging aspects of
the competition. I entered the B25J in Expert and my 55% Pitts Special in flying only. I also flew
my Composite ARF Extra 260 in the breaks for the crowd entertainment. We were welcomed by
all at the competion and the museum was worth the trip alone. We saw the P40 and Spitfire fly
together and we were able to get up close and also talk to the pilots.
At the end of the competition my team was awarded 1st place in expert for the B25 Mitchell which
also gained the highest static points for expert. I also gained 3rd place for the Pitts Special which
was a great result. This was a great lead up to the Nationals at Dalby with our biggest problem
being the weather. The organisers and Dalby club did a spectular job in achieving such a great
event in the midst of terrible flooding and turmoil. I was able to gain 2nd place with the B25 at the
Nationals and 1st place with the Pitts Special in flying only.
Page 13

This success is only due to the team of people who make this all possible. Nothing is possible
without my wife Veronika, and my caller Mark Williamson has travelled many miles to gain the
success we have had over the years. Special thanks also to Geoff Jenkins who drove from
Bendigo to be part of the “Russell’s Raiders” team at Temora.
Aeromodeling is a great hobby but the people you meet and the friends you make are what
it’s all about and what motivates me to be involved. I look forward to competing again at the
2011 Temora scale classic with the B25J and the new Composite ARF Pitts S12 that I am
building now. I hope to see you at a field soon.
LUKE CULLEN

Page 14

Page 15

TCBMFC members assembled in the carpark at the Carlo sand blow at Rainbow Beach
recently 06/11/11 What a great view !

Page 16

Page 17

Brian Burke’s Passing
19.12.1944 – 28.09.2011
AUS 2738

Well it started off with a very sad week with the death of Brian Burke on Wednesday after an
ongoing illness. He was put in hospital for about a week and was not getting any better, so
he decided to come home. After visiting him at home a few times everyone could just see
him deteriorating rapidly.
We were going to hold a get together fly in on Burky’s premises but his health just rapidly
decreased so had to cancel. Many thanks to Andrew and Tom Linwood for flying up from
Sydney that weekend to visit him. He was very overwhelmed to see them. His biggest wish
was to make it to the Ipswich & District CL Champs at Ipswich but sadly fell 3 days short of
the weekend.
(Dad) Mark McDermott got everyone around at the start and said a few words about him and
had a minute silence to finish the speech.
Brian’s funeral was held on the 5-10-11. There were a lot of people in attendance and a very
big thanks to Michael Comisky for driving 12 hours from Sydney to attend. Geoff Burke said
a great eulogy for his father and held together for his family very strong. He would have been
very proud of you.
Brian was one of the finest combat pilots and won many state and national events in all
aspects of combat and even a few racing events. He had a great passion for open combat
especially. He also invented the event and made the rules for .35 slow combat in QLD. He
loved building models for everyone and has built hundreds for us. He only just finished
building a goodyear model for us 3 months ago and looked absolute amazing for a combat
“guru.” If it wasn’t for Burkey building so many models for me and giving me heaps of
combat advice I would not be half the pilot I am now. So this weekend is for you Brian.
Thanks heaps
Tight lines in the sky mate!
Never forgotten ( R.I.P mate)
Trent McDermott AUS 55720
Clasi Member

Page 18

Ipswich and District Control Line Championships
Part Two
Due to terrible weather on 2nd October, the postponed events were rescheduled
to Sunday 30th October. The weather was glorious with virtually no wind at all and
unfortunately virtually no competitors.
Combined Speed was run first up with John Jacobsen taking out 1st place with 3 nearly
faultless runs with each of his two 21 Proto ships. A final best run of 26.50 with Trent
McDermott piloting the all carbon fibre models that John has been building. John has a
medical certificate to allow him to use a proxy pilot.
John Taylor came second running a Class2 model but unfortunately was not able to run
his Pulse jets at CLASI field due to agreement with council.
Due to shortage of experienced pilots (any kind of pilots actually) we were forced to
MixNMatch and handle stop watches and counters as well, in the Vintage A races.
The McDermotts won the first heat in a time of 3.15 but then withdrew from further
racing in order to pilot for the other competitors.
Trent McDermott/Rhys Patten took out 1st place in the final with a 7.56 followed by Ross
Stokes/J Taylor with a 9.22 and Mark McDermott/Rod Smith with a 10.24 filled the final
placing.
Unfortunately only two models turned up for Classic B, and after a practice crash
destroyed one, there was no alternative but to abandon Classic B.
The rest of the day was spent with further testing of John Jacobsen’s models and
I believe it won’t be long before he breaks the Proto record, particularly as there is
another model out of the mould which is 100 grams lighter.
John Jacobsen competed in the 16th Nationals at Camden coming second in Proto and
Open Combat but then stopped modeling in 1965 and only returned 4 years ago when
he joined the Maryborough R/C club. He has only been building the carbon models
since last September but is booked to go to Perth Nationals. Watch out for him there.
I do have a couple of observations to make in light of the lack of interest in the CLASI
Championships. In spite of offering Junior and Senior Combat events there was not one
entry received from other clubs. The response in general was extremely disappointing
and the Championships ran at a loss, CLASI will never again offer to run Competition
events under the same conditions.
It is quite apparent that anyone wishing to get serious competition in FAI and MAAA
events will be forced to travel to the Southern States from here on in.
The Maccas and I will be travelling south in future whenever possible.
Many thanks to those who did enter, show up and assist in any way. Your attendance
was greatly appreciated.
As a footnote I would like to add some further comments on the status of C/L (and other
disciplines in Queensland as well, because” if the shoe fits, wear it”
If you look at pictures displayed on various websites and in club magazines, one fact
that becomes extremely obvious is the age of the people portrayed.
There are very few juniors. How many does YOUR club have?
What is the problem? How do we fix it?
Page 19

I am of course of the OLD school and I was brought up by my Grandfather and Father to call
a” Spade a Spade and a Shovel a Shovel”
We have, I believe too many breakaway events at club level which then splits the entrants into
TOO MANY CLASSES, with the result that entries in each event are reduced to minimum, to
the detriment of the FAI and MAAA events.
We need to cut down the events, not CREATE More!
I know that my comments will create some adverse comments, however facts are facts.
Think about it!

Can we do something to save our SPORT? We need to act now!

John Taylor
John Jacobsen testing his latest
carbon model recently

Latest happenings
Recently a Flight Training Conference Chaired by Mike Snaibatis was a first and that as a
result a new way of training. Instructors will be put in place so that every State and Territory
will operate under the same guidelines.
MAAQ’s has put forward nomination for Chris & Kevin Callow to be recognized as the sports
team of the year.
Maryborough Club has just completed a control line hard stand at their field in the last few
weeks in preparation of an upcoming control line event.
On the old timer scene Dave Paton (plonker extraodinaire) has taken out the Champ of
Champs at Wangaratta recently. It must have been all that wine!! Congratulations to Dave.
Web sites:
Please note the MAAQ web site news section on the home page - this page can be used as
a way of promoting ourselves to the public. The Web site should be consulted for contacts
and MAAA site for MOPS as people are ringing up and e-mailing the committee with questions easily answered from this site. Please check out this site for all MOPS changes and
any other important updates.

No. 5 - 2011
Legal
regulations

Aeromodelling – How to Stay Safe
All beginnings are easy – but nevertheless
potentially risky

Numerous countries have
regulations regarding model
flying. In most cases, these are
issued by the ministries of
aviation and are available from
there. The most important and
also most common regulations
regard:
¥ insurance requirements for
model flyers
¥ model flying in the vicinity
of airports
¥ weight limitations of models
¥ FPV "first person view", also
called immersion or camera
flying
¥ permitted radio control
frequencies
National aeromodelling
organisations and associations
are well informed in these
matters. If you cannot find
anything on their websites,
individual enquiries will no
doubt be readily answered.

The new generation of ready-built model aeroplanes
and helicopters – mostly made from foam materials –
make aeromodelling easily accessible for everyone.
While getting started is easy, a few safety issues
must nevertheless be considered. These include
insurance, legal regulations, handling of technology
and flying itself.

Not to forgotten insurance
Delighted with your newly
acquired flying model, including
engine and radio control, you'll
immediately want to rush
outside, find the nearest field
and launch your fantastic
machine. But wait! Have you
checked whether you have
insurance that will cover you
for damage caused by model
aircraft? Should you lose
control over it, even a
relatively small model plane

has a certain hazard potential
and can damage property or
cause personal injury. This
could be expensive for you.
Read your insurance policy
carefully and check if model
flying is covered. If not, have
the policy changed accordingly.

The technology of
modern
aeromodelling
The technology involved in
aeromodelling has rapidly
evolved in recent years –
especially with regard to
microelectronics.
The areas most affected by this
are propulsion technology,
remote control technology and
on-board electronics with data

transmission to the pilot,
stabilising instruments, GPS,
etc. In addition to conventional
internal combustion engines,
gas turbines and increasingly
electric motors are used today.
While handling turbines
requires a large degree of
know-how, electric motors are
easier to work with but do
present certain hazards.
Individuals must always stay
behind the propeller. A
propeller that has become
detached and is whizzing
through the air can release a
large amount of energy and
cause serious injury.

If you want to change any
settings on your transmitter,
always make sure the power
supply to the electric motor has
been disconnected to ensure
that it will not suddenly start.
Sadly, accidents due to
unintentionally and suddenly
starting motors do keep
occurring – both with planes
and helicopters.

Many radio control systems
have the option of
programming a so-called fail
safe. All functions can be set so
that a loss of transmission

Page 22

immediately causes the engine
to stop and the control surfaces
to assume a neutral position.
This may not always enable
you to recover your plane but it
does dramatically reduce the
risk of an accident occurring. A
quick and simple test: hold
your plane, with transmitter
and receiver turned on and the
motor connected but switched
off, from behind and turn now
off the transmitter. If the
motor does not start, you've
got it right.
You should generally make
sure that the RC system is
working properly. Both receiver
and transmitter batteries must
be full charged. The proper
functioning of the entire
system should be checked
regularly and especially prior to
initial flights. The RC system
manuals include information
about the procedure for
checking the range of the
system (distance check).

…and now it’s time
to take to the air
Once you've done everything
conceivable to ensure your
model is safe to fly, it's time to
take to the air. If taking off –
after the function check – with
motorised model planes or

helicopters, no people or
animals may be present in the
flying area. Distances must
always be sufficiently large –
20 metres for smaller aircraft
and at least 50 metres for
larger and faster machines.
Avoid flying near buildings or
roads. The risks of gliding on
slopes are also often
underestimated. In slope
winds, modern gliders in CFC
construction can easily reach
speeds of 200 km/h or even
much higher. Sufficient
distances to other pilots and
spectators must be observed.
Zooming closely past
spectators is no heroic
achievement – on the contrary,
it's irresponsible and criminal!

Vitally important
In strong or turbulent wind
conditions or poor visibility,
always make the safe decision.
And should something be
wrong with the model, if there
are people or animals in the
flying area or anything occurs
that makes you feel unsure –
don't start and err on the side
of caution. This way you won't
experience any unpleasant
incidents to spoil your
enjoyment of model flying.
Good luck and have fun with
your model airplane!

Notice to all Members
Control Line State Championships – 2012.
I am pleased to announce that the 2012 Control Line State Championships will be held at
Maryborough Aeromodellers Club inc. (M.A.C) Boonooroo Rd Maryborough on the 15th–
16th-17th June 2012.
It is believed the extra day (Friday) will be needed to get through what we hope will be a
larger event than we have seen in previous years. This weekend will also coincide with the
usual MAC Fun Fly weekend and a Free Flight Event which is scheduled for the Sunday
morning. As you can see we are expecting many MAAQ members to be in attendance. The
organisers will do their best to schedule the program so that you won’t miss out on anything.
We have also been advised that a number of NSW flyers are considering attending.
This promises to be the largest event of its kind in many years and we encourage all CL
members from all over Queensland to take advantage of this unique opportunity.
M.A.C has offered the use of its excellent facilities.
Grounds –
Preparations have already started on the flying circles to ensure
they are in ‘tip-top’ shape for the weekend.
Facilities –
Camping facilities - $10 max per person for the duration.
Also - hot showers, septic toilets and electricity.
Catering –

The event will be catered by M.A.C.’s dedicated canteen staff who
will provide hot food and hot & cold drinks.

For more information contact the MAAQ Control Line Administrator cladministrator@maaq.org

HELI TALK
In this know-it-all article, Byron tells those heli fans
how to tension their belts, the right way.
One of the most common issues seen with less experienced helicopter pilots is problems with the tail
drive belt. I have heard countless pilots comment
about losing belts in flight, and/or having to replace
them after very few flights. A properly adjusted drive
belt will provide a long life, less stress on your power
system, and better performance from your machine.
At the field, one of the things I noticed were people
who mentioned belt issues tend to almost always
over tighten their belts. Most manufacturers will suggest adjusting the belt tension so that you can push
the belt roughly 2/3 of the way to the other side (near
the forward belt pulley) without being able to completely reach the other side. This is correct. What
seems to be misinterpreted by many is that this does
not mean so tight that you cannot physically push
the belt to touch the other side with excessive force.
When applying pressure to the belt with your finger,
you should be pushing lightly to moderately. The idea
is that when adjusted properly, you will feel the tension become tight at about 1/2 to 2/3 of the way to the
other side, and it will resist reaching the other side.
If you push excessively hard, the belt will certainly
stretch to reach the other side. If you tighten the belt
to the point of not physically being able to push it to
the other side with excessive force, you have adjusted it too tight. Too tight of an adjustment puts unnecessary stress on the whole drive system, especially
the motor, tail shaft bearings and belt pulley bearings. This translates to bearings wearing out faster,
shorter flight times (due to increased amp draw) and
higher motor/esc/battery temps.
Check your belt tension often as things such as ambient temperature and stretching or "breaking-in" will
cause it to change. One thing to keep in mind is that
new belts will stretch after some flights have been
put on it (5-15 on average). You will want to keep an
eye on the belt tension and adjust it as needed after
it has "broken in". After the "break-in" period, the belt
should not stretch much at all.
Keeping your belt adjusted properly will ensure a long
belt life and good performance from your machine.
A SPECIAL REQUEST HAS BEEN MADE TO INCLUDE HELI STUFF IN THE MAG. IS THERE A
BUDDING WRITER OUT THERE THAT CAN BE A
CONTRIBUTOR FOR THIS COLUMN ?
IF YOU HAVE ANY TIPS & PHOTOS PLEASE
SEND THEM TO THE EDITOR
Page 26

Collection of heli photos from TAA
Top - Peter Loves and Luke Cullens below , and the turbine powered
model of Mike Snaibaitis at the Dalby
Nationals

On behalf of QMARA I wish to advise we intend to conduct the F5D electric pylon racing
team selection event for the 2012 World Champs.
The date will be 25th and 26th February 2012 and the venue will be the Dalby Model
Aero Club field. The selection will be conducted over the 2 days with 9 rounds flown and
will be held in conjunction with other racing classes to be advised. We will also welcome
international competitors to this event.

During 2011 the year 9 Technology Students
at Citipointe Christian College engaged in construction and flying the Delta Dart supplied by
MAAA.

WAGGA MODEL AEROCLUB PRESENTS
HELI HEATWAVE 2012

The year 9 students really enjoyed the experience and had a great morning flying the Deltaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. The flying capabilities of the Delta Darts
impressed the students and there was great
excitement following each launch. The students built their Delta Darts over a two week
period and then launched the planes collectively and observed the characteristics of
which flew highest and longest. The weather
was overcast with a light breeze and the majority of student planes flew well. The students
enjoyed the challenge of construction and flying their creations. The year 9 students wish
to thank the MAAA for the opportunity to build
and fly the Delta Dart.
In the Year 2012 we wish to utilize the Delta
Darts again but plan on using them in our
Technology Studies program in Year 8 as an
introduction to flight.
David Hatton
Senior Technology Studies Teacher: Citipointe
Christian College Carindale.
Featuring : MATT BOTOS
Heli Designer, 3D pilot & Owner of Synergy RC
Helicopters

LASER CUTTING
PLAN SCANNING & PRINTING
Wolf Models now has a wide format plan printing and scanning service available.
All plans are sent rolled, not folded, in a mailing tube. Up to 36” or 914mm wide by
whatever length needed, as it is a roll printer.
Our laser is now up and running for cutting short kits or ribs for your new project.
Very reasonable prices with a quick turnaround time. We can either work with your
CAD files, or email me your PDF or TIFF images and we will convert them in Autocad
for the laser to use, and also print off a copy for building from. If you only have paper
plans then send them to us and we will scan into our system. Your plans will be returned
undamaged and we can print a new set if you need them. Our laser has a 1300 x 1200
bed with pass through capabilities, so the maximum length we can cut is 2300mm. Big
models.
Check our website regularly for an update of plans we have in stock.
Call us now for an approximate price, or send your plans for an exact quote.
“ We will be closed for business from the 16th December to the 12th Jan 2012 “